Sean Davis Newton - Bird Brain
Self-Released
Released on October 18th, 2024
Wistful, nostalgic, cinematic and, at times, delightfully kitschy, Sean Davis Newton’s Bird Brain cherry-picks through ninety odd decades of musical iconography to deliver an album that would be as well-suited on a 2008 indie film soundtrack as in a 1930s cabaret. On his 11-track debut album, the baby-faced and angel-voiced songwriter flexes his compositional muscles, showcasing elaborate hi-fi productions and acting as conductor for a wide range of unusual instruments (an ambitious solo record approach, with 18 credited performers). Unconcerned with current trends, Newton bucks one convention after another, leaning instead on sharp wit and clever melodrama to draw the listener into his world.
Sticking very much to the stated theme, many of the songs on Bird Brain act as both metaphors about and odes to various Canadian avifauna (with an honourable mention to houseflies). From earnest, heart-on-sleeve numbers like Magpie, to bouncier, almost honky-tonk numbers like Pigeon and Gasoline, Newton uses the electric piano and hard-swinging rhythms to tie each track to the next, a signature sound that affirms the days-gone-by aesthetic. Never devolving into musical theatre territory, the album nevertheless has a histrionic quality, leaning hard into each trope and never pulling punches.
One thing that immediately struck me while listening is the uncanny juxtaposition of message and messenger. No matter how hard Newton may try to sound jaded, hard done by, or down bad, the purity of his voice and the jauntiness of the tunes can’t help but herald whimsy, playfulness, and delight. As dark as the subject matter of Bird Brain may be, it’s easily received when sung by a voice so true.
Artists like Sufjan Stevens, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, and Wilco are obvious influences on Bird Brain, with tracks like Corvidae and Loonie hosting hoards of niche instruments and punctuated harmonies that shimmer and soar overhead. The compositions are complex, flirting with orchestral, but with feet still firmly planted in the indie rock world.
Bird Brain is an action-packed parade through oft-overlooked genres, swerving deftly in and out of avant-garde compositions and winking clichés to deliver an album that feels familiar, even somehow cozy. Eye on the rearview mirror, all the while moving full steam ahead, Newton perfectly encapsulates Bird Brain in second track Snowbirds’ simple refrain: “Times change, minds change / Why can't things just stay the same?”.
- Penelope Stevens
Note: Sean Davis Newton runs the Cups N Cakes Network. Penelope was forced to write this review at gunpoint.